County questions need for increased staffing in Economic Development Department

Jeff Green | Oct 01, 2015

At their monthly meeting, members of Frontenac County Council received the Economic Development implementation plan, which came about after workshops that were attended by members of Council as well as business people from across the County.

The five-point plan calls for a branding exercise and improved signage; attraction and retention of accommodation facilities; food and beverage retention and expansion; the development of a recreation infrastructure plan; and the contracting of a community development coordinator.

It was point 5, the community development coordinator position, that most concerned Council.

According to Councilor John McDougall, approving the plan was merely “approval to take the next step. It does not approve any spending but it gives our new sustainability and economic development committee something goals to work towards.”

Still, councilors had questions.

“Isn't this your job?” Councilor John Inglis asked of Anne Marie Young, the County Manager for Economic Development.

“You cannot do economic development sitting behind a desk. Someone has to facilitate the efforts, answer the phone, apply for grants; but someone also has to take these good projects and move them forward. You need boots on the ground sometimes,” she said.

That just sounds like a duplication of the Frontenac Community Futures Corporation to me. It sounds like we are trying to do the same thing,” said South Frontenac Mayor Ron Vandewal.

“This person will make sure the economic development is not just a fluke, that it is planned and promoted. This is a person that will work with new and potential businesses to make sure they know they are welcome in Frontenac County,” said Planning Co-ordinator Joe Gallivan. Gallivan added that a new Official Plan and the Economic Development Implementation Plan are all going to help draw more funding for economic development projects from provincial sources.

“If we pass this motion, is it a green light to hire someone?” asked North Frontenac Mayor Ron Higgins.

“It is a framework for community development,” said Chief Administrative Officer Kelly Pender.

“As long as we are not talking about hiring a person for a three-year appointment,” said Warden Dennis Doyle.

In a recorded vote, seven members of Council supported the implementation plan, and Ron Vandewal voted against it, technically making it a 7-2 vote since as the mayor of South Frontenac, Vandewal has two votes.